Windows 8 was a radical overhaul of the world's most popular computing software. It added touch elements to the screen, and emulated the design style of the not-so-popular Window Phone. Critics say there's a steep learning curve with Windows 8.

The new look of Windows was meant to compete with rise of tablet computing. Apple's iPad, Amazon's Kindle Fire, and Android tablets all offer good-enough computing experiences for most people. This holiday season, when given a choice between a new PC and a tablet, a lot of people are expected to choose a tablet.

The Surface, and the Windows redesign, is not getting enough people to stick with Windows.